Clinical Director Pediatric Oncology

Professor of Oncology

Research Interests: Small-molecule and biological regulatory mechanisms; Control of DNA replication and chromosome superstructure; Structural and catalytic mechanisms of nucleic-acid machines and assemblies ...read more

Locations

Background

Dr. Cohen is Director of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology and Clinical Director of the Division of Pediatric Oncology at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins. He received his undergraduate degree at Brown University and earned his MD at the Upstate Medical University, in Syracuse, NY. He did his general Pediatric Residency and Chief Residency at the University of Colorado, and completed his Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship at Johns Hopkins. He has served on the faculty since 1994. Dr. Cohen is co-chair of the High-Grade Glioma committee for the Children's Oncology Group and in that capacity has a particular research interest in the development of therapeutics for the treatment of infiltrating gliomas. He is Chief Medical Officer and head of the Scientific Advisory Board for Solving Kids Cancer. He is a Scientific Advisor for the Childhood Brain Tumor Foundation.

The Pediatric Neuro-Oncology program conducts a broad range of research centered primarily around the development and testing of novel therapeutics for children with brain tumors. Included in this research has been the use of low-dose, long-exposure treatment strategies as well as the selective use of high-dose treatment regimens. The multidisciplinary nature of this work translates into continual collaboration with specialists in pediatric neurosurgery, radiation oncology, neuropathology, neuroradiology, neurology, neuro-ophthalmology, and other related disciplines. Research is also coordinated with the Neuropsychology group at the Kennedy-Krieger Institute.

Departments / Divisions

Centers & Institutes

Education

Degrees

SUNY Upstate Medical University (1987)

Board Certifications

American Board of Pediatrics / Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
(1994)

Research & Publications

Research Summary

More children die of brain tumors than of any other type of pediatric cancer. Significant advances have been made in surgical and supportive care, but with fewer evident therapeutic benefits. A variety of new therapies are being studied in the hope of finding new treatments that are more effective, yet less toxic to the developing brain. One promising new avenue is research that links neuropathology with neurosurgical sciences.